The Study Of The Bible
THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE
Why are there so many different interpretations when it comes to reading and understanding the Bible? It is not that God has been unclear in His communication; rather it is that we have problems in our reception. This can be liked to the example of a radio and the transmitting antenna. It is entirely possible for the transmitter to be properly sending forth its signal and the radio receiver still not correctly receive the transmission.
What is it that causes our “reception problems” when we come to read and study the Word of God? There are several areas:
One reason is because there are so many interpreters who do not have the illumination of the Holy Spirit.
"But the soulish man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14). This verse points out that the unsaved man does not have the capacity or the inclination to receive the truths of Scripture. He can read through the Bible, even memorize the Bible, and still not know what it really says. To go back to our earlier example, I cannot pick up the radio waves moving through this room unless I am equipped to do so.
Another reason for false interpretation is because of the interpreter's preconceived ideas. A story is told about a captain in the U.S. Cavalry many years ago who was riding through a small town in Oklahoma. As he passed by a barn, he suddenly pulled his horse to a stop, because right there before him on the side of the barn were dozens of bull's eye circles drawn with chalk, and in the center of each one was a bullet hole.
About that time another man walked by and the captain asked him, “Do you know who is the marksman responsible for all those bull's eyes?” The passer-by nodded his head and said, “Yep, that would be Billy Hawkins. But he's a mite peculiar.” The captain replied, “Well I don't care what he is like. The Cavalry can use anyone who can shoot that well.”
“Ah ha," said the other man, “But I think you should know that Billy shoots first, then he comes over and draws those circles.” The above story is an illustration of a common favorite pastime—making the Bible say what we want it to say. First we shoot out a particular idea. Then we start circling verses to back up that idea. Conversely, the only legitimate approach to discovering biblical truth is to let the Bible speak for itself before we draw our conclusions. Likewise, we all would be wise to look at the many issues of our faith in their original context. When a believer reads the Bible with a preconceived conclusion, then he is not subjecting himself to the guiding of the Holy Spirit which Christ has promised (John 16:13). This is the problem with most cults and religions. They come to the Bible with a set of beliefs and then seek to find verses to prove them. We must be very careful not to do the same thing in our study habits.
There are a number of Bible Students who do not like the idea of abandoning their prejudices and beliefs when the study the Bible. “What if I come up with something that contradicts my beliefs?” If my study of the Bible leads me contrary to my beliefs, then I must throw away my beliefs. Remember, something is not true just because I believe it; or just because my teacher believes it; or just because my religion believes it. If there is no basis to my beliefs, then they are nothing but trash, and they must be discarded.
Let me also add that I do not immediately discard a doctrinal belief just because a verse at first glance seems to contradict it. As a mature believer I must be careful not to be blown about by "every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14-15).
3. We must realize that every believer has varying factors involved in his ability to interpret the Bible. a. Various intelligent quotas. A man who cannot read is going to have a greater problem studying and interpreting the Bible than a mar who can. b. Various levels of Spiritual Maturity. A new believer will find that he has a much greater problem understanding Scripture than the mature believer. c. Time spent in Bible study. We have already seen the value of time spent in seeing what is there. A man who has been seeing what is there and looking for clues for 20 years will see much more and understand much more than a young Bible Student who has just started. d. Varied use of correct principles of interpretation. There are strict literary rules of interpretation that must be followed if we are to correctly understand the Scriptures.
While it is true that justification comes through faith and apart from works, the reception and understanding of the Scriptures require a diligent listening and effort of study.